“Rachel Grant’s smart, edgy, high-energy romantic thrillers deliver a real rush.” – New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann KrentzRaptor operative Nate Sifuentes isn’t thrilled to find himself back on the job on the first day of his winter vacation, but he can’t say no when his brother asks a favor. At least he’ll earn an easy Christmas bonus—after all, driving a fired military contractor … military contractor home after she’s been escorted off base by military police can’t be that hard.
In a matter of minutes, Leah Ellis has lost everything, and now she’s stranded in the nation’s capital on the first night of Hanukkah without money, phone, or bed. All she has is a mysterious driver who might be after her technical knowledge of the US military’s drone operations.
The former Green Beret’s protective instincts—and skills—kick in when he discovers the alluring AI engineer is being hunted. On the run, they escape the winter cold by generating their own heat, but will they find answers in time to stop a terror attack on Christmas Day?
“The suspense is intense and so is the romance. Fascinating heroines, cool heroes and intelligent plots. Grant sets a new gold standard for romantic suspense.” – New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz
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Loved this Romantic Suspense! Perfect for the Holidays!
A fast-paced, sexy holiday romantic suspense with fabulous twists, this is the kind of thriller-like story you can only get from Rachel Grant, a master of the genre. If you’re looking for a quicker read to get you in the mood for the season, I highly recommend Winter Hawk.
Winter Hawk by Rachel Grant is a novella set in Ms. Grant’s Evidence world. Being a novella the book was action packed from the first chapter.
Nate Sifuentes and Leah Ellis are the lead characters and are older than the traditional hero and heroine found in most romantic suspense. I really appreciated their more mature outlooks on life and their careers. There were sparks between Nate/Hawk and Leah from the beginning so this started off as “insta lust” but as they got to know each while trying to keep Leah alive and figure out what was going on it slowly developed into a love relationship. Twists to keep you guessing, drone programming that turns deadly, hot romance and a surprising reveal kept me turning the pages.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Janus Publishing via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
Interesting story and characters. I wasn’t sure I really liked Leah at the start but she grew on me. Entertaining
Fast paced “insta-love” at the holidays featuring Grant’s signature brainy heroine and sexy hero. This was a quick read but fun and a little scary when you think of what could have happened and amazing when you think of what the drones did do. The cover of the book gives you a hint at what things looked like on Christmas Day.
I really liked the heroine. Her coolness in stressful situations was incredible. The authors special surprise at the end was very unexpected but wonderful and perfectly demonstrated her love and devotion to her man.
Storyline was well thought out and had some unexpected twists and turns
This is a tricky one with so many twists and turns you do even see the villain until the end! I love a good suspense, and this is a very good one. You are sucked in from the first chapter and finally get some breathing room with the last.
WINTER HAWK is the ninth book in the Evidence series and is a fast paced holiday novella. This is the first book I have read in the series and I enjoyed it and would like to go back and read the other books in this series.
I liked the two main characters, Nate and Leah and this action packed suspenseful story, kept me riveted and quickly turning pages to find out what happens next. Nate is a former Green Beret and now works in private security. He is protective by nature and will not allow anything bad to happen to Leah. Along with all the action, there is also a romance developing between Leah and Nate when they find themselves immediately drawn to each other. Don’t miss this entertaining story, it will put you in the holiday mood.
A simple phone call, asking an easy favor, seems like quick money to Raptor operative Nate Sifuentes. He has nothing going on these few days before Christmas, so why not help his brother out and play chauffeur for a fired government contractor. But when Nate is met by a calm, cool but pissed Leah Ellis, he is intrigued. When it appears that they are being followed, he his curious. And when a speeding car aims right for Leah, Nate “Hawk” Sifuentes goes into Raptor mode….
This is not your usual holiday novella. The events take place over Hanukkah and Christmas, with Christmas Day and the gifts received that day playing a pivotal role. But that is the extent of “holiday” cheer here – this is edge-of-your-seat, pulse-pounding suspense with huge hit of steamy oh-yeah romance. I loved this story so much, I read it in one sitting, not even shifting in the chair. The mystery surrounding Leah’s brutal firing and who is targeting her is not an obvious one. I felt just as clueless as Nate and Leah were as to who was behind the escalating mayhem hitting Leah’s orbit. I loved that the main characters were established in their careers and in their lives to know what they wanted and took it. There may be mistletoe floating around, but these 2 did not need it!
As is always the case with Ms. Grant’s books, the plot, writing and characters were top-notch. There were some fellow Raptors making appearances, and it only whetted my appetite for the next book in the Evidence series!
Loved it!
This novella is jam packed full of a smokin’ hot relationship between Nate and Leah, suspense, mystery, and action. There are so many questions from the start – why was Leah fired, who fires someone and leaves them with no ID, no money and no phone, and who is trying to kill Leah?
I love stories like this that scarily seem like they could happen in real life – as far the as hijacking of the drones. This was a great addition to the series.
WINTER HAWK (Evidence Series Book 9) by Rachel Grant is a fast-paced holiday romantic suspense novella. The Evidence world features the men and women of Raptor and all the books can be read as standalone romantic suspense reads, but there is some character crossover.
Raptor operative and former Green Beret Nate “Hawk” Sifuentes finds himself doing a favor for his brother on his first day of winter vacation. He fills in as a contract driver picking up a fired military contractor at the gates of the Navy Yard when she is escorted off the base by MPs.
Leah Ellis has no idea how she lost everything. The military fired her from her AI work on drones and her home company has taken everything away until an investigation is complete. She is being led off base on the first night of Hanukkah with no home, no car and no money. The mysterious driver picking her up does not look like any driver she has ever seen before and she wonders if he has been sent after her technical military knowledge. She does not know who to trust.
As Nate is driving Leah, he realizes they are being followed. When an attempt is made to run Leah down, Nate’s protective instincts kick in and the two escape to a fellow Raptor’s holiday cabin to hide out and figure who is out to hurt Leah and why the beautiful and intelligent AI engineer is being targeted.
This romantic suspense is a treat packed with everything in a small number of pages. The suspense plot is very interesting and intense with all the information on commercial and military drones and AI programming. It was woven into the romantic suspense plot so that it was never an info dump or boring. The romance between Nate and Leah was immediate and intense. I was glad that Ms. Grant revisited the character of Nate Sifuentes and gave him a strong, intelligent and older heroine to aid. Nate and Leah fit together well. The sex scenes are intense and graphic, but not gratuitous. They are two mature characters in a mature relationship.
If you like your holiday read to have plenty of action, suspense and smokin’ hot sex scenes then this is definitely the novella for you!
Once again this author knocks it out of the park with another suspenseful read that I couldn’t put down and with amazing characters I couldn’t get enough of. Nate, a Raptor operative, ends up doing a favour for his brother and picks up an employee who has been fired from a contract with the military. Leah learns in a matter of minutes she has no money, no car, no home, no phone and no where to go when she is let go without warning….but she does have a ride with a handsome stranger and when an attempt on her lie is made….she couldn’t be in better hands as they try to solve who wants her gone.
An amazing read with steamy sensual scenes, suspense, and characters that draw you into their story. I have loved everyone of these authors books and this one is no exception. I love the no drama between the characters, getting through any hurdles like mature adults with no misunderstandings and honesty. The story flows beautifully and the suspense keeps you glued to the pages as does their blossoming relationship. Can’t wait for what this author has next up her sleeve.
*I voluntarily read an advanced copy and expressed my honest opinion*
Loved everything about this novella!
This is my first book by this author and what an introduction! It is a longer nouvella than I’m used to but it is packed with action and drama. I loved that the main characters were older (40’s) and established. Leah is how I like my h’s. She is strong and sassy. Nate is a typical H – a protective, alpha. The chemistry between them is hot. I just not quite happy with the resolution of Nate’s promotion or the explanation of the bad guy’s agenda. Maybe because of the required shrinking to fit the nouvella size, these answers were too simplified for my comfort. But I’m definitely interested in more by this author!
I received a free copy from Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.
This fast paced romantic suspense just whets my appetite for more Raptor books. This book has it all mystery, suspense, smoking hot romance, and one heck of a thrilling conclusion. As this is novella size the romance moves as a really fast rate but the chemistry was there from the start so it worked. Loved the suspense part of the plot about the drones.. A very edge of your seat read…
Winter Hawk was an action packed holiday romance! Leah and Nate had an accidental, weird almost meet cute, then slid in to a fast courtship, but they made a cute couple! I enjoyed the romance, but the suspense is what always sells me on Grant’s books! The intricate plotting is stellar and fine tuned. This was a perfect holiday novella.
Leah is a computer coder and is working for the Navy. Her company is getting ready to release a new drone Leah developed. While working in the Navy yard, she is fired and left with no car, no money, and no house. The NSA has frozen everything until it can be searched. Nate is an employee for Raptor but his brother owns a car service and asks him to do a little favor. Pick up someone being fired at the Navy yard. He picks up Leah but someone is following them. When Leah is almost run down, Nate decides she needs protection. Nate’s buddy has a cabin and Nate and Leah head there to hide out. Can they find out who is trying to destroy Leah’s career and reputation?
Great story with action and sex. This is all happening a couple of days before Christmas. It may be short but it has a great story line.
* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for NetGalley *
Nate is former Green Beret, Special Forces. He works for a private security company called Raptor. He occasionally helps his brother out picking up wealthy and powerful clients when one of his other drivers are unavailable.
He’s scheduled to pick up Leah Ellis … she’s just been fired from a government military manufacturer. She wishes she knew why.
Nate is happy to take her to whatever destination she has in mind…. but there seems to be a problem. There are several attempts made to kill her ..from a hit and run to burning down her apartment.
A government hit? Does she know something she shouldn’t? Maybe a local resident with a grudge against her work for the government? Or possibly someone with a reason to kill.
Nate’s protective instincts kick in …. and it doesn’t hurt that he and Leah are majorly attracted to each other
The non-stop action starts as they go on the run. The suspense is nicely paced. The main characters are likable and relate to each other well.
WARNING: The intimate moments are many, and very graphic.
Many thanks to the author / Janus Publishing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this Romantic Suspense. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.